RIIFF Announces 2005 Screenplay Competition Winners

After weeks of deliberation, the ninth annual Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) has announced the winners for this year's Screenplay Competition from among more than 200 entries.

The Grand Prize winner for 2005 is Alderman's Story by George Csicsery of Oakland, California. His historical drama gives a balanced portrayal of the rising tensions between the original English colonists and the Native Americans that culminated in the King Philip's War.

"George's script was insightful and engaging, he obviously understood his subject matter and was able to craft it into a compelling story," commented Adam Short, the Coordinator for the Screenplay Competition

According to George T. Marshall, Executive Director of RIIFF, "The quality of this year's screenplays exemplifies the respect and maturity of our competition. It is known within the film industry for encouraging innovative storytelling. We work hard to ensure this tradition and this year is no exception. I am very excited about this year's winners."

The RIIFF accepts original feature-length screenplays on any subject matter and in any genre. A distinguished panel of industry professionals, screenwriters, and members of the general public judge the screenplays based on their creativity, innovation, vision, originality, and use of language.

The Grand Prize winner for 2004 was Kat Chandler's Brain Brawl, a comedic screenplay that follows a popular teenage girl whose world turns upside down when she transfers to an intense college preparatory school where nerds are at the top of the social heap and members of Brain Brawl, the academic decathlon team, are worshipped.

This year's Screenplay Competition also awarded five other prizes to screenplays that exemplified high-quality, powerful storytelling. The winners are as follows.

Grand First Prize
Alderman's Story
George Csicsery, Oakland, CA


Second Prize
The Gold Men
Arzhang Kamarei, New York, NY


Third Prize
La Primavera
Joseph M. Galligan, West Des Moines, IA


Semi-Finalist
Blue Suede Shoes
Eric Diekhans, Evanston, IL


Honorable Mention
Weeded
Courtney Wagner & Nicole Whelan, Brooklyn, NY

Updated: 09/09/2005

Additional Contest Info: FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival Screenplay Competition